With retailer reports indicating the impending discontinuation
of the 80GB PlayStation 3, many are left wondering what will come to take
the place of Sony’s high-end console SKU. Supposed insiders are pointing to a
new model with a 120
to 160GB hard drive and the new DualShock 3 controller, though Sony denies
such plans.
The latest word, however, is that Sony itself has yet to
decide on its next PlayStation 3 model. GameDaily
cites a source close to Sony that SCEI is currently holding meetings to settle
on what the next package will be.
According to the source, Sony is considering the distance it
should put between its SKUs. Thus far, the high-end and entry-level PlayStation
3 consoles feature a main difference of 40GB of hard drive space. The original
launch 20GB machine, besides being deficient by 40GB, was also without flash
card readers and Wi-Fi when compared with the 60GB model. The later release of
the 40GB, aside from storage space, also was without flash card readers and PS2
backwards compatibility when compared to the 80GB model.
Despite such feature differences, Sony may feel that the two
SKUs aren’t diverse enough for consumers to take notice. "There are a lot
of different strategies under consideration, but nothing is final yet. They are
considering ways to put some relevant distance between the two PS3 SKUs, but
it's unclear how that will roll out," the source indicated.
Meanwhile, the Japanese market is going forward with only
the 40GB model, though available in the three different colors of Clear Black, Ceramic
White and Satin
Silver.